Charges against Mill Spring man upgraded after brother's death

Published: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 7:28 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 7:28 p.m.

Charges against a Mill Spring man who fled the scene of an accident Jan. 13 have been upgraded after a passenger thrown from his truck died from his injuries.

The N.C. Highway Patrol and Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to an accident on Mountain Range Road Jan. 13. Responders found Darryl Faulkner, suffering from head injuries after being thrown from the back of a 1998 Dodge truck, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office Wednesday. The driver of the truck, 29-year-old Travis Thomas Faulkner, fled the scene on foot, police said.

Darryl Faulkner, 48, of 710 Mountain Range Road, was taken by EMS to St. Luke’s Hospital as officers searched for the driver, according to the release. “During the search, Sheriff Donald Hill, who was on scene, contacted Travis Faulkner by phone and negotiated his surrender. The search lasted around an hour before Travis (Faulkner) exited the woods near the residence and was taken into custody by Sheriff Hill,” according to the release.

The Highway Patrol charged Travis Faulkner with leaving the scene of an accident with serious injury and driving with a revoked license, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Darryl Faulkner died Jan. 15 as a result of his injuries at Spartanburg Regional Hospital, and the Highway Patrol charged Travis Faulkner with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.

The Transylvania County Detention Center, where Faulkner is being held, lists his charges as felony death by motor vehicle and felony hit and run with failure to stop for personal injury. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office did not return a call seeking clarification Wednesday.

An obituary from Petty Funeral Home in Landrum, S.C., lists Travis Faulkner as a brother of Darryl Faulkner.

<p>Charges against a Mill Spring man who fled the scene of an accident Jan. 13 have been upgraded after a passenger thrown from his truck died from his injuries. </p><p>The N.C. Highway Patrol and Polk County Sheriff's Office responded to an accident on Mountain Range Road Jan. 13. Responders found Darryl Faulkner, suffering from head injuries after being thrown from the back of a 1998 Dodge truck, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Office Wednesday. The driver of the truck, 29-year-old Travis Thomas Faulkner, fled the scene on foot, police said.</p><p>Darryl Faulkner, 48, of 710 Mountain Range Road, was taken by EMS to St. Luke's Hospital as officers searched for the driver, according to the release. “During the search, Sheriff Donald Hill, who was on scene, contacted Travis Faulkner by phone and negotiated his surrender. The search lasted around an hour before Travis (Faulkner) exited the woods near the residence and was taken into custody by Sheriff Hill,” according to the release.</p><p>The Highway Patrol charged Travis Faulkner with leaving the scene of an accident with serious injury and driving with a revoked license, according to the Sheriff's Office. Darryl Faulkner died Jan. 15 as a result of his injuries at Spartanburg Regional Hospital, and the Highway Patrol charged Travis Faulkner with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.</p><p>The Transylvania County Detention Center, where Faulkner is being held, lists his charges as felony death by motor vehicle and felony hit and run with failure to stop for personal injury. The Polk County Sheriff's Office did not return a call seeking clarification Wednesday.</p><p>An obituary from Petty Funeral Home in Landrum, S.C., lists Travis Faulkner as a brother of Darryl Faulkner.</p>